Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell joins Jim and Jon to discuss the huge win over the Vikings and preview the upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans.
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00:00Time to check in with the coach, Dan Campbell.
00:04Dan, good morning.
00:05Good morning.
00:06We've got a lot to talk about, right?
00:08Big game against the Vikings.
00:10We also want to ask you about Jamison Williams.
00:13As much as you can fill us in, we understand reports from ESPN suspended two games for
00:18a performance-enhancing substance, so let's just get that out of the way first.
00:21What can you share?
00:22Yeah, I can't.
00:23There again, I can't really say anything about it until the league gives judgment and it
00:28comes out on their end.
00:29I'm not supposed to really comment on it.
00:33All I can tell you is we're prepared to not have him, and we'll be fine.
00:37That's why we got Leaf and Saint and LaPorta and TP and Allen Robinson, you know, among
00:46other things, with Dave Montgomery, Gibbs.
00:48So we'll be fine.
00:49We'll move on.
00:51This thing comes down.
00:52If it does, when it comes down, we'll be fine.
00:58Talking about the game on Sunday and just about Jared Goff's performance, I'm curious.
01:06Three weeks into the season and four interceptions, and then all of a sudden, it's like there
01:11was a switch that was flipped.
01:14What's been the difference for Jared Goff over the past three weeks, insert the bi-week,
01:19four weeks, that wasn't there in the first three?
01:24Yeah, look, I think everything goes back to what we talked about early in the year.
01:32And he played good ball, and then there would be, you know, there'd be an interception
01:35in there or something.
01:36And, you know, I think he just, he was trying to force a couple of things.
01:45And so, you know, you get a few of those, then he goes into Arizona, and I feel like
01:51that really calms back down and takes what's there, you know, really just tried to focus
01:57on that.
01:58And I know there was an interception in there, but, man, it was just so much more of a reserved,
02:03clean game.
02:04And I felt like that was his reset game, you know, that got him back.
02:08He went the other way.
02:10And then he really felt like he was going to come out of that and find that perfect
02:14balance.
02:15And he's done that and then some.
02:17So it's a credit to him.
02:19It's a credit to Ben Johnson, Mark Brunel, you know.
02:25But the guy's just, I mean, he's playing lights out right now.
02:30And it really doesn't surprise me when you see the way the guy works, and he just doesn't
02:34get frazzled.
02:36We're able to put a lot on him, particularly if you can't handle a lot going into Minnesota
02:41with that defense, you're going to struggle against him.
02:44And they had two weeks to prepare for that game.
02:47They're undefeated.
02:48They got to their place and all three phases.
02:50I mean, that game, where does that rank for you in terms of wins since you've been here
02:54in Detroit?
02:55That had to be one of the more satisfying ones, I imagine.
02:58It was it was good, man.
02:59I haven't sat down and ranked all the wins right now, but but that was up there.
03:05You know, anytime you can go on the road in the division, hostile environment, I mean,
03:10that was awesome.
03:11You know, it was it was bearing down on you and, you know, in the ebbs and flows of the
03:16game.
03:17And man, you have to you have to get the momentum back twice, once in the first half, once in
03:22the second.
03:23And our guys just didn't man, they didn't blink.
03:26And so it makes it you hate it during the game, right?
03:29You're you're the everything that's going on, but it makes it that much sweeter when
03:33you're able to win the game.
03:35You mentioned a couple of those moments.
03:37You're down 10 nothing early in the game.
03:40You're down at the very end of the game, 28 to 29.
03:44What is it about this team?
03:45Because we always talk about culture.
03:46We talk about character.
03:48What was the feeling on the sidelines in each of those moments that gave you belief that
03:53this was this wasn't a big deal, that the team could take this on?
03:57Because you could just see it.
03:59You could feel it.
04:00You can see it as usual.
04:01These guys don't that stuff doesn't bother them like they they just go right back to
04:05work, you know, and all right.
04:08Something bad happened.
04:09Dave Montgomery had an unfortunate fumble.
04:13It goes back and defense comes out and, you know, gets the two point stop.
04:19And then offensively, we're like, all right, let's go back out.
04:21Let's find a rhythm.
04:22Well, we don't.
04:23Right.
04:24And we end with a sack, a three and out a sack.
04:26But the defense comes up for us and big time, big time at the end of the game and the offense
04:32takes the field.
04:33It's like this is it, man.
04:34This is the last possession you got to win this game.
04:38And it's just the way we're made, man.
04:39And this has been this wasn't just this wasn't just formed, you know, over a year.
04:46I mean, this that's what I'm saying.
04:48The foundation of this team, the core of this team, this has been here a long time now.
04:52We're going on year four and we've only stacked on top of that foundation.
04:56And so whatever's on there is is and it's on it's on solid ground so we can handle anything.
05:04I really believe that we can handle it.
05:06Our guys don't miss a beat.
05:07And they really are.
05:09The mindset is, you know, it doesn't matter what the adversity is.
05:13It doesn't matter if it's injury.
05:15It doesn't matter if you know where the score's at.
05:18It doesn't matter if there's suspensions.
05:20We overcome whatever it is.
05:22And you guys have made that statement a bunch.
05:24It was an early play part of that 10-0 deficit.
05:27It ends up not being a big deal.
05:29The fake punt.
05:29I'm not going to do the reckless thing.
05:30I don't think it was reckless.
05:31But could you explain to people maybe what went into that decision?
05:34Because it looked like Minnesota was ready for that one.
05:37Was it something that should have been killed at the line of scrimmage?
05:41No.
05:41No, we had the look.
05:43We'll be better.
05:44We'll be better with it.
05:46But no, we have what we want.
05:47And as you guys know, if we have the look and we have the numbers, it is just about the execution.
05:53Then it's on.
05:53If it's on, it's on.
05:54If it's off, it's off.
05:55And I don't care if we're playing somebody that's 5-0 or 0-5, we're doing it.
06:01And we'll clean that up.
06:04There's a couple little things we can do better.
06:06And we'll be all right.
06:09I don't second-guess that call.
06:12It didn't work and you hate it and it looks awful.
06:14I agree with you.
06:15It didn't look good.
06:15It did not look good.
06:19But we can work with that and we can get it better and we can grease it up.
06:23So we'll be all right.
06:25The biggest story over the past week has obviously been, how are you guys going to respond?
06:30How will the defense respond without Aidan Hutchinson?
06:33And yesterday we heard you talk about it a little bit.
06:36What's the sense of urgency to add to the defense with just two weeks left before the trade deadline?
06:44Yeah, I mean, look, Brad's been grinding on this.
06:48This is not, you know, ever since last week, you know, he's been going and looking at really everything that could potentially be available.
06:58And so much of it is the making the calls.
07:02First of all, who do you like on tape?
07:04Who's worth something?
07:05You know, and it's not just because somebody says they're a good player.
07:09You've got to put your own eyes on it and do the homework.
07:13And then, you know, where are they at?
07:15How much football do they have left?
07:17What salary are we taking on?
07:19How does that affect us next year signing our own guys?
07:22How much, you know, value are you going to have to give up?
07:26So all of that stuff plays into it.
07:28But believe us, we're looking and, you know, Brad's on it and we'll find somebody that fits us and brings something.
07:36Like I said, a complimentary piece that helps set the line.
07:39I don't think there's a general manager and coach that seem to be on the same page as much as you guys.
07:45And I'm curious, when you've got to put your own eyes on it, how much of it is for you as head coach, when Brad brings you some options, do you actually, one, have the time?
07:55But how much do you have input into, I see this guy and yes, this is something that we think we should do?
08:03Well, when it gets serious, he's, hey, check this out.
08:06And I do.
08:07And because he wants to know that I agree with it.
08:10You know, if there's somebody he likes and it's worth it, then that's when I know it's serious.
08:17And I check it out.
08:18And man, if I like it, we're all good.
08:21You know, if it's something I don't like, well, he's not going to force it on me.
08:24I mean, that's not how we work, you know.
08:28And that's how we've been good now going on four years.
08:31But I also know if it's something like that, I don't know that he's ever been wrong.
08:36So, you know, I think he and I see pretty much eye to eye.
08:40We have for a long time here now.
08:42I trust the hell out of him.
08:45And so we'll find the right guy that fits us whenever that time is right.
08:49I guess it begs the question, has he asked you to do any intel on anybody?
08:52Has it gotten serious even behind the scenes?
08:55Yeah, he's asked me to check something out, a couple of things.
08:59OK. Jake Bates.
09:01I want to ask about him, too.
09:02All right. I'll jump. I'll jump in line.
09:04Because obviously it's it's the first game winner.
09:08And I know that there's always kind of there's some angst
09:12whenever you're lining up for a game winner, no matter how reliable
09:15or how experienced the kicker may be.
09:17But I'd like to I wish I could get in your head, in your heart
09:21as to what you were feeling when he takes the field for the first time
09:25to kick a game winner in a division game and with how much it was on the line.
09:30Well. You know, look, I trusted him
09:35and I felt like once we got down there after,
09:39you know, after golf made that the big time throw to Saint really got us.
09:44That's that was the perfect range.
09:46That's that's right where we wanted to be.
09:48And I felt really good with Bates there.
09:50Seen it numerous times, but it was a little bit like,
09:55man, Phil and I were talking about this.
09:57He brought it up and it really didn't even dawn on me until he said it. But.
10:02But I felt really good.
10:04But Phil was talking about when we had our
10:08our our foaling competition in the summer that we always do.
10:12You know, we throw at the bowling pins, the football, the whole deal.
10:15And he he, you know, he gets into the finals.
10:18And I mean, he made like three big time throws in front of the whole team.
10:24Pressure on the line.
10:25It's not like what it was at Minnesota.
10:27But yet, man, that's you're in front of your peers.
10:29There's a lot going on.
10:31And boy, he nailed it.
10:32And that's what it felt like out there.
10:34You know, the guy stepped up. It was his time.
10:37He put it right down the middle.
10:39And man, I it was good to see, man.
10:42We needed that. Who won the foaling tournament?
10:46I don't remember who did win it.
10:49I don't know.
10:50It's it's not a huge deal.
10:51Here's what I do know. I didn't.
10:54OK, that's understandable.
10:57I also wanted to get in a question about Brian Branch.
10:59It feels like he's collecting game balls.
11:01I was watching that two point conversion again the other day.
11:04He is. Can you describe where he is at that position?
11:07The safety position?
11:08Maybe compare him to some other guys you've seen do it
11:10because he feels like he's on another level.
11:13Yeah, he's he's something else.
11:15I mean, he what's crazy is the fact that he's still
11:18he has so much room to grow.
11:20He has so much room to improve.
11:22But you see the production he has at the safety position.
11:25This guy, he's special.
11:28He's special.
11:29And I mean, I think when it's all said and done,
11:33he's going to be one of these guys that that you look back on and say, man,
11:37this guy's he's a game changer.
11:40You know, he makes things happen back there.
11:42The ball finds him or he finds the ball.
11:45He just he's got a knack for the position.
11:48He's nasty. He's tough.
11:50He's instinctive.
11:53He just man, he brings everything you're looking for.
11:55He can cover.
11:56The guy can freaking cover one on one receivers, good receivers in the sling.
12:00He can. There's not anything he can't do.
12:03Now it's time to refocus an extreme high, an emotional win.
12:07You know, last second win.
12:08Now you're going up against a team that hasn't had as much success
12:11as you. How do you get the guys to be grounded
12:14and focus on Tennessee to come out with a win at home?
12:18Well, look, you got to acknowledge it.
12:20That's the first thing.
12:21Let's get the elephant out of the room.
12:23You know, you can say what you want.
12:24You see, if all you're looking at is the record, this team,
12:29we're getting ready to play. You're wrong.
12:31You got to go back and look.
12:32This is a fast starting team.
12:35They've got a physical.
12:36They got a physical line, the line.
12:39They got damn good coaching.
12:41Big, big Callahan's over there with that old line.
12:43So they'll have a number of things greased up for us.
12:47And then this defense could potentially be,
12:50you know, the best defense we've faced up to date.
12:52And I know we just faced a good one.
12:54But you talk about physical now.
12:56The Simmons, he'll he's going to bring it among others.
13:00So we got a challenge this week and we just got to go play our game.
13:04We got to prepare like we have.
13:06We got to be ready to bring it.
13:08We're back home.
13:08We've been on the road two weeks.
13:10So we should we should feel the juice there and and put our best foot forward.
13:15Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
13:16Dan, thanks for your time.
13:18All right. Appreciate it.
13:2097-1.